First
by E. M. Zeray
Summary: First moments in Percabeth's relationship, going up until their engagement. Prequel to "In Fear and Love." First date, first school dance, etc, etc... Fluffy!
1. First Date

**A/N: Very...honeymoonish stage. Fluffy. You've been warned.**

"Percy, you got into a fight?"

He sighed, looking at Paul. The older man gave him a helpless look, like 'What was I supposed to do? I'm married to her.'

"Some guys were insulting Annabeth."

Paul looked towards Sally just as she was opening her mouth. "They were being rude, Sally. I admit Percy took it a little far, but he was just standing up for her."

"And now he has a week of detention!"

Percy looked at his plate. "I'm sorry."

Sighing, Sally put her hand on Percy's shoulder. "I know, Percy. And you were right to stick up for her. So, do you have homework?"

"Kind of. I'm gonna go start."

He kissed his mom on the cheek and put his plate in the sink before walking back towards his room. His homework was digging through his bag to find a drachma, creating a rainbow, and IMing Annabeth. He had grown accustomed to seeing her everyday. Kissing her everyday.

"Oh, Iris, accept my offering. Annabeth Chase, New York City."

When the image flickered into sight, Percy couldn't contain his smile. She was lying on her bed, laptop on her lap, hair tied up messily.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," she said, smiling. Percy noticed she was wearing a grey T-shirt that was maybe three sizes too big and sweats. When she saw the bruise on his cheek, she frowned. "Already, Percy? Who'd you get in a fight with?"

"He got the picture of you from my backpack and said...some not very nice things about you. I wasn't responsible for my actions after that. I thought you'd be proud I was...defending your honor."

She arched her eyebrows. "My honor? What exactly did he say?"

Percy shook his head, silently insisting he not be asked to repeat it.

"Come on, Percy. I can handle it."

"I know. I'm worried about the other guy. If you kill him, we'll have problems."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but let the subject drop. "So, what's up?"

Relaxing back against his pillows, Percy told her the events of the day. He'd gotten a flyer for the swim team, which he would be allowed to participate in if he didn't get another detention this semester, and the girl at lunch who had brought her friends to sit with him.

She frowned.

"What?" Percy asked.

"You're so oblivious."

"Um..."

"They were flirting with you, Percy."

"What? With me? Why?"

Annabeth sighed. Her boyfriend could be so thick sometimes. He was dumb, but well muscled and handsome. She wasn't surprised that girls had started flocking towards him.

"Well, come on, Percy. You have this certain...thing now that you've saved the world. Besides, you are pretty hot."

"And here I was all excited that I had friends," he grumbled. Then her words hit him. "Wait. You think I'm hot, Wise Girl?"

She blushed and closed her computer, setting it to the side. Her arms wrapped around her knees. "Don't let it go to your head."

"Well, if it matters, I think you're..." Percy swallowed tightly. Annabeth held her breath. "Um, well, what I mean is... You're, and I'm, and the way..." He sighed. "You're gonna kill me one day."

With a smile, Annabeth said, "Why don't you just say it, Seaweed Brain?"

He met her gaze evenly, although his heart was hammering. "You're...really beautiful." They both blushed. "And...is it degrading to a woman to call her hot?"

"'Beautiful,' 'pretty,' and 'gorgeous' are preferred."

"Okay then. You're all three of those wrapped up one body."

Annabeth blushed deeper. "So, you're gonna go out for swimming?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

Annabeth kept to herself the thought that that meant she would see her delicious boyfriend in a Speedo. She shook herself of the thought, saving it for a later date.

"How's your mom?" she asked.

"Good. She wishes you would have asked to stay with us and gone to Goode. She thinks you're a good influence. Paul likes you, too, what little he knows about you."

"So they wouldn't mind if I came up there on Saturday and stole you away for a movie?"

He grinned. "No, I don't think they would. My treat."

Annabeth winked at her boyfriend. "It's a date."

They talked for another hour before Annabeth's roommate interrupted them. She blew him a kiss before waving her hand through the IM.

Percy removed his shirt and jeans and got under his blankets, but he wasn't tired. He stared up at the dark ceiling, thinking about her. In four days they would see each other again. He would kiss her until he couldn't breathe and then they'd kiss again. Then it hit him. His first date. But then again, how different was it from the times they had spent together? They weren't awkward with each other, but anything could happen when you were nervous. So Percy told himself not to be nervous.

When had that ever worked for him?

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Annabeth was looking at her reflection in the mirror before the thought stuck her. She always wore jeans or shorts, T-shirt or tank tops. It wasn't that she wasn't comfortable in her own skin, it was just that that was how she was comfortable. She didn't like skirts too short or too tight and those seemed to be the only skirts made. Dresses weren't terrible, but she didn't want something too fancy. Just something white, simple, and...comfortable. But what if Percy was getting tired of her blue jeans and T-shirts? The thought seemed silly to her, but then again, so had the thought that Seaweed Brain would like her as more than a friend. Anything was possible.

She picked at the end of her plain white T and frowned. Maybe she should ask her roommate for a dress.

"Incoming Iris Message from Perseus Jackson, Manhattan." She spun around.

"I accept," she muttered.

"Hey, Wise Girl," he said. He was sitting at the kitchen table, hair a mess, smile planted firmly on his lips. "Whatcha doing?"

"Getting ready. Um...what are you gonna wear?"

"Jeans and a blue T-shirt. Why?"

She smiled. "Oh, no reason. I'm gonna leave soon. So I'll see you in thirty?"

Percy nodded, blushed a bit and said, "I'll be waiting, beautiful."

When her heart had calmed down, she pulled on her jacket and walked out the door. Who cared about dresses? Jeans made her butt look great. Smirking at the thought, she hailed a cab and gave him Percy's address.

As buildings and people rushed past her, she contemplated...Percy. What was it she liked about him? She liked how protective he was. Not overly so, giving her enough room to take care of herself, but always jumping in when she needed him. She liked how real he was. He'd been through everything with her-had stuck by her side when the boy she thought she loved betrayed her family, her home-and had never judged her. She liked that he was thick sometimes. When she had been trying to make him realize her feelings, she hated it, but when other girls flirted with him, batted their eyelashes, touched his biceps admiringly... Stupid Aphrodite girls... It made her realize that he only had eyes for her. She liked that he was passionate about everything he did. He loved the people around him, cared for them so deeply, and always tried his hardest. She liked the way he kissed. Hungrily, but slowly, desperately and deeply, like he was scared this was all a dream and he would wake up any moment. She liked how he hugged her. She liked how he looked at her. She liked how he made her laugh. She liked the way he looked, the way he dressed, his eyes, and the way his hair fell in front of them sometimes, and how he barely noticed it when she gave him one of her pleading glances that-in her opinion-so clearly said what she was thinking and how badly she wanted him to kiss her or hug her or just...be there.

He was everything she wanted, and everything she had.

As she knocked on his door, she was thinking about their kiss. Kissing Percy was one of those things in life that you wanted to think about whenever you could because it brought up so many good feelings. The way his lips felt against hers, the way he tasted, the way his arms were either securely around her or loose as he tangled his fingers in her hair. They had been dating for two weeks and she already had a long list of everything she liked about him. What did that say about her?

She couldn't dwell on that for long because he was answering the door. Her heart thumped.

Percy nearly drooled when he saw her. How had he ever survived a whole school year without her? She was gorgeous. And, jeez, she was wearing lip gloss.

"Annabeth," he said, smiling. "You look...great. Wanna come inside?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "But don't you wanna get to the movie?"

"My mom would never forgive me if I didn't make you say hello."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but smiled and stepped inside the apartment. Paul and Sally were sitting at the kitchen table, Paul reading the newspaper, Sally typing on her laptop. They both looked up when she entered.

"Annabeth!" Sally said, grinning. "How nice to see you, dear."

"Hi, Mrs. Blofis."

"Hey, Annabeth," Paul said. "What are you two doing today?"

Percy grabbed his jacket from a chair, pulling it on. "Movie," he told them. "And we have to be going." He grabbed her hand. "Bye."

As they stumbled out the door, Annabeth grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.

"What?" he asked.

Without answering him, she twisted her fingers in his hair and a slow smile grew on his lips. She kissed him and he cupped her head with one hand as the other arm wrapped around her waist. Oh, she loved kissing him.

Percy's brain was melting, his heart was thumping, and he never wanted it to stop. But when Annabeth pulled away, so did he. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Strawberry," he muttered.

"What?"

"Y-your lip gloss. Strawberry."

She blushed. Going on her tiptoes, she kissed him once more, slowly, and ran her tongue hesitantly across his bottom lip.

"Gods, you're gonna kill me," he whispered.

"You...had some on your m-mouth."

"Come on. Let's get out of here before we miss the movie."

They held hands as they walked out of the building and all the way to the theatre. Inside, Percy was wondering if the thing about girls and horror movies was true. Maybe for other girls; but Annabeth had lived through...a lot. He doubted a ghost would scare her.

They held hands during the movie and used their other hands to take popcorn. Percy could barely focus on the movie. Sometime in the middle, Annabeth had rested her head on his shoulder. And the moment could not have been any more perfect.

And then they woke up.

Percy sighed. He didn't think he'd ever get the vision of kissing Annabeth like that out of his head. He'd have to make the vision a reality on Saturday.

Groaning, Annabeth glanced at her watch and realized she needed to shower and get dressed in her uniform and... Well, she had a lot to do before class, and a lot to do before her first date. First of all, she needed to find strawberry lip gloss...

**A/N: I know it probably wasn't very realistic, but my first date wasn't technically a date because all of my friends were there, too, so I needed to come up with something…and so I decided to make them dream it. Like it, love it, hate it? Review and tell me. But if you say you hate it, I'll cry…**

**Love,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	2. First Make Out Session

**A/N: I admit it, this was definitely NOT one of my best… But it was pretty basic. It's called First Make Out Session…really, what could that mean? Hmm… They kiss a lot. But I gave a hint to my new fav couple: Katie Gardner and Travis Stoll—look for a fic about them from me in the future—and talked about the fireworks from that one story… Whatever… Um, an invisibility cap, water powers, and teenage hormones! Read and Review!**

"Hey, we're spending Spring Break at camp, right?"

Percy nodded enthusiastically. They hadn't been able to see each other for a while, and, darn it, he missed her. "Absolutely. Ya know, I almost kind of miss Travis and Connor. Clarisse, too."

Annabeth gasped theatrically through the IM. "I'm sure they'll all be glad to hear it, Percy."

The corners of his lips turned up. "When was the last time you called me 'Percy' instead of 'Seaweed Brain'?"

As she rolled her eyes, she told him, "Don't get used to it, Seaweed Brain."

"Speaking of Travis...have you noticed something weird with him?"

Annabeth laughed. "Weird, meaning?"

"Is it just me, or did he seem to be paying a bit more attention to Katie during the last week of camp?"

"Probably planning another prank."

"I'd agree if it were Connor, who seems to pay attention to every breathing female, but Travis?"

"That's true." Annabeth frowned. "You don't think..."

"I don't know. You're the girl. You tell me."

Once Annabeth had finished her eye roll, she sighed. "It's possible, I guess. She blushes when he smiles at her after a prank. And you could tell at the fireworks how jealous he was that she went with that kid from the Apollo cabin."

"Actually I wasn't really paying attention to much but you during the fireworks. I was going to ask you, you know. And then you ruined it."

"How did I ruin it? I asked you!"

"Exactly. As the man, it's my job to ask you." He grinned. "I did like the wink, though. That was cute."

"'As the man'? That's so sexist. And the only reason I asked was because you were so dense you probably wouldn't have gotten it. I mean, come on, Percy. I kissed you at Mt. St. Helens, I asked you to the fireworks-the most romantic night at camp that everybody has a date for-and winked at you, and you go home and kiss Rachel Elizabeth Dare. You cannot take a hint. And while I totally get there was a war going on, you couldn't take three seconds to go, 'Hey, Annabeth, I like you as more than friends.'"

His eyes widened. "Wait. You...know about..."

"Yeah. Oh, relax, it's not like you kissed her back."

"But still. As far as I know you've never kissed anyone else... You've never kissed anyone else, have you?"

Annabeth ignored the question. "You could have had any girl at camp, Percy. Rachel, even Calypso. But you chose me. I still don't get why."

He shrugged. "You were there when I needed you. You understood things about me that Rachel couldn't fully grasp, no matter how hard she tried. Besides, you were the cutest one there. And you're the only one who can give me a run for my money at Capture the Flag."

"When we play this week, we should bet."

"We're both gonna bet on ourselves."

"That'll make us work harder."

"Or..." Percy licked his lips nervously. "We could skip it and hang out in my cabin."

"Skip Capture the Flag?"

"Uh huh."

There was a pause. "Well, Seaweed Brain, it appears you're bringing out the worst in me. Let's do it."

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Percy had his back turned when the door opened. Invisible, Annabeth snuck into his cabin. He looked like he'd just gotten out of the shower. His hair was damp, and he was only wearing jeans. Annabeth bit her lip. Broad shoulders... She shook herself. Sure, Percy was her boyfriend now, but that didn't mean she was used to feeling so...attracted to him. It was like the status had made her realize just how gorgeous Percy really was...and the shirt being off helped a little, too.

He turned around. Annabeth gnawed on her lip again. Flat stomach, great muscles, sea green eyes and jet black hair... Percy. Her Percy. She took a couple steps forward until she was right in front of him.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," she whispered.

He jumped a bit. "That wasn't nice, Wise Girl!" he snapped, grabbing frantically for the hat. "Where are you?"

She moved a bit to his left. "Come and find me."

Smiling evilly, he grabbed to his left, but half a second earlier, Annabeth had moved.

"This is totally unfair, Annabeth."

"If you catch me, I'll kiss you."

"Oh, it's on." He stood very still, very quiet, and listened. Nothing. Damn. Then it hit him. He smiled. Water tricked up from the fountain in his cabin. It grew, and grew, and grew, and he forced it forward.

"That was a dirty trick!" she shouted, coughing and sputtering. He noticed water dripping off of some shape in the middle of the room and grabbed her.

"Got you," he whispered.

Annabeth rested her hands on his shoulders. "So kiss me."

"I can't see you."

"Close your eyes."

He did, and all of a sudden he felt Annabeth's lips against his own. When he went to wrap his arms around her, she squirmed tighter into him. She held onto his arms, smiling. The kiss felt like it lasted hours, but it was only a minute. Percy broke away to catch his breath.

"Take off the hat," he said.

"I don't know. This is kinda fun."

Percy smiled sweetly and, as if her words had reminded him, glanced down and blushed. "Sorry-I'll grab a shirt."

"No!"

He arched an eyebrow.

"I mean...just...I kinda like it."

"Either you take off the hat, or I put on a shirt. Besides, it's kind of creepy kissing...nothing."

"You're not kissing nothing; you're kissing me. You just can't...see me... Yeah, this was a dumb idea."

"Annabeth..."

Annabeth took a longing glance at his chest and reached up, pulling off the hat. "Now kiss me, Seaweed Brain."

But Percy bit his lip, trying to hold back a laugh. "You're all wet."

"Does that bother you?"

"Not even a little bit," he told her, kissing her again. And before he knew it, they were sitting on his bed, his hand behind her head and the other on her knee. She ran a hand up his chest, forcing a shiver down his spine.

Percy's mind drifted slightly as he kissed Annabeth. First of all, he realized that they were...with loose definition...making out. Then, thoughts started running through his male brain, some that Annabeth would not have been happy to hear he was thinking. It wasn't that he was trying to get somewhere farther with her. The thought scared him a little. In the back of his brain, he still kind of saw Annabeth as the girl he pulled out of the ocean when going to rescue Grover, and the girl he shared matching grey streaks with from Mount Tam. He had all these moments with her. And...he didn't want to ruin that. He didn't want to push her into something he knew they weren't even close to being ready for. But that didn't mean his brain couldn't think about it...just for a bit. Cockily, in the back of his mind, he considered the fact that his dad was the Earthshaker. He smiled against Annabeth's lips.

Annabeth moved her hand to his neck and up to his hair. "Don't ever stop kissing me, Percy."

"I won't."

**A/N: Review, please. They've become my drug. Mwuahahahaha!**

**Love,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	3. First Family Dinner

**A/N: This is just a little embarrassing struggle for Percy…and you know I can't resist throwing in a kiss! I love it when they kiss… Read and Review!**

**Oh, btw, I didn't know how old the boys were so I guessed and said that they were currently in elementary… If you know how old they'd really be, I'd love a review telling me and I'll change it accordingly…maybe…if I feel like it…**

Percy was stressed. Not only did he fail his most recent English test, but his finals were coming up soon, and if he failed even one subject, his life was over. Oh, and Annabeth's family was coming to town to see her...and her brand new boyfriend. He had to worry about explaining his grade to his mom, studying for finals, and impressing Annabeth's dad, all in one weekend.

"Just run me through with Riptide," he told Annabeth one afternoon as he was complaining to her.

"You're invulnerable, Percy."

"Great, I can't even die right."

Annabeth smiled, reaching out for her boyfriend's hand. "I'll make you a deal. If you don't pass all of your finals and my dad doesn't like you, I'll tell your mom about your grade."

"It won't matter. I'm the one who got the grade."

"Okay...how about I tutor you? For the finals? And ask Paul for a retake! He's your English teacher, after all. And besides, my dad likes you."

"Yeah, as Percy, the guy was going to save his daughter's life from the evil Titan. Not, Percy, the guy who makes out with his daughter whenever he gets the chance."

"You just made it sound like you were making out with your daughter."

Percy sighed. "See? I'm bad at English. I'm just doomed."

Annabeth stroked the skin of his palm soothingly. "It's not the end of the world, Seaweed Brain. I'll tutor you for finals and I'm sure Paul will give you a retake. You just have to worry about my dad, now. And my little brothers."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Just be you. You're wonderful."

It seemed like a decent idea, just being himself. But himself wanted to kiss Annabeth every second of the day. That's just the way it was lately. Though neither of them knew it, they were in their honeymoon stage, still, and since they hadn't seen each other enough, it was even more intense.

"But it's not like I can kiss you in front of them."

"I don't see why not."

"Annabeth-what happened the last time we kissed?"

She blushed. "Okay, so we got a bit distracted! But I'll control myself this time."

"It's not you. It's me. Once I start, I...it's impossible to stop."

"It's like that for both of us," she insisted. "Is it not possible that I'm attracted to you? That I like kissing you?"

"Well...unlikely may be a better word."

She rolled her eyes. "You need to come to grips with the fact that you're cute. Handsome. Hot, even. And it's very likely for girls to want to kiss you. As long as I'm the only one who gets to."

"You like kissing me?"

She was in the middle of proving it to him when she pulled away, frowning. "See? We did it again. We're supposed to be talking about dinner with my family!"

"Right." Percy ran a hand through his hair, brushing down the tangles Annabeth had recently formed with her fingers.

"You're mom was nice to let me use the kitchen. I don't really have enough room in my dorm room kitchen to make a meal for six."

"I guess it's good my mom and Paul went to Montauk for the weekend, eh?"

Annabeth smiled. "Yeah. But they would've been welcome at dinner, too."

"I know. But I'd rather not have to share you with my mom. She adores you."

"So...appropriate dinner conversations do not include the war, okay? Barely even mention camp. I don't wanna get all mixed up with my step-mom again. You can talk to my brothers about...basically video games is what they're into right now. They're going into 5th grade next year and are starting to warm up to girls, but if they ask you if you're my boyfriend, you say?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"That's it."

She smiled. "I've trained you well."

"What if your dad brings up camp?"

Annabeth rested her head against Percy's shoulder. "Just say it was normal half-blood stuff."

"So don't mention the half hour we spent under the lake on my birthday?"

"Probably not."

"Or the hour we spent on the beach after dark? Or spring break-"

"No, Percy. You shouldn't."

He grinned cheekily. "Just checking."

"I'm gonna make spaghetti. That's the safest thing I can think of." She kissed his cheek and stood, grabbing her jacket from the arm of the couch. "I'll be by tomorrow at noon."

"But I thought they weren't coming until 7, so you didn't have to be until like…4."

"I can't spend time with my boyfriend on a Saturday?"

Percy stood, pausing at the door with her. He leaned against it, blocking her exit. "It's allowed, and very much welcomed. Bring a movie or something. As long as it's not a documentary."

She laughed, pulling him close for a moment. Dizzy from the aftermath of the kiss, Annabeth shook her head and stumbled out the door, giving a tiny wave to Percy. Gods, she loved him.

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"What can I do?" Percy asked, coming behind her as she stirred the spaghetti sauce. "Want a taster?" He settled his hands on her hips. "Or I can watch this while you change into that dress you were so _excited_ about." The word passed his lips sarcastically. Annabeth had wanted to impress her family, but she didn't always like dresses.

She turned in his arms, holding a spoon. "Taste."

He did. "It tastes like spaghetti sauce."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and tasted a bit as well. She looked up at Percy and their eyes met.

"You think it'll be okay?" she asked.

His face was getting closer and closer.

"Percy?"

"One kiss, Annabeth?" he whispered.

"No! They'll be here, soon!"

"One last kiss?" His nose brushed against hers. "Before I'm sentenced to the wrath of your family? Please, Annabeth? You wouldn't want me to die without kissing me one last time…"

She closed her eyes and their lips met carefully. Then harder. More passionate. The spoon dropped to the floor as she tangled her fingers in his messy two-weeks-past-needing-a-haircut hair and the sauce bubbled on the stove, forgotten.

In weeks earlier, they had been tentatively testing limits, and as Percy's hands skimmed the waistband of her jeans for the first time, she backed into the counter and Percy pressed closer to her. It was a moment they would later look back on and wonder what the hell they'd been thinking.

As Percy dipped his hands under her camp T-shirt, lingering at her hips only, Annabeth arched her back and then let her head fall back. When she lifted it back up, intent on kissing Percy's lips again, Annabeth found her hair heavy, and her back suddenly wet and warm. When she spun, Percy gasped, was silent for a moment, and started laughing loudly and enthusiastically.

Annabeth turned back to him. "Don't tell me."

He reached around her, turning off the stove. "Go shower. I'll start another batch of sauce."

She looked for a moment like she was going to cry or hit him, and then just marched out of the room, mortified and angry.

Percy worked silently. Ten minutes later, he heard the hairdryer going, then her in his closet, trying to find her dress. When she came out, her ponytail was devoid of spaghetti sauce. She took over at the stove and Percy went to trade his T-shirt for a blue button down. Only the best for Annabeth's family.

When he emerged, Annabeth was setting the table.

"Hey, beautiful," he said.

She smiled and opened her mouth to respond, but a knock at the door interrupted her. Percy's smile melted off his face. Annabeth kissed his cheek. "I'll get it," she told him.

He gave her a small peck on the lips as a thank you and could tell he wanted to kiss her longer, but hurried over to the door before he got the chance. She hugged her father first, stepmom second, and the boys last. They strolled in, one of them with their hands in their pockets, the other playing a Nintendo.

"How are you?" her father asked.

"I'm fine, Daddy. How was the flight?"

"Good. The boys are excited to meet Percy again, now that they're older. They're ready to ask him questions. I assumed that would be my job tonight, but it appears you have a fan club."

Annabeth squeezed her father's hand and closed the door behind them as they entered. Percy was finishing setting the table as looked up as the last fork was set in place. Annabeth went to stand by her boyfriend.

Fredrick's wife greeted Percy first with a handshake. Then Annabeth's father stared at Percy. "I met you two years ago when you were saving my daughter's life. I was very glad you had her as a friend, Percy. Let's hope you make me glad she chose you as her…boyfriend." He looked sickened at the word.

"I'll try, sir." They shook hands.

Matthew and Bobby wandered over.

"You're her boyfriend now?" one of them asked.

Percy grabbed Annabeth's hand. "Yeah."

"Have you kissed her, yet?"

"Um—"

"Dinner's ready," Annabeth interrupted. "You guys must be hungry." She gestured to the table and they all sat. Percy took a bottle of wine from the fridge and offered a glass to the adults. It was unopened, he assured them. Annabeth's father drank wine, his wife cola. The boys had milk, and Percy gave Annabeth—while hidden in the kitchen—a sip of nectar to make it through the evening and a glass of water.

There was no pause in the conversation as they ate. Frederick's wife rambled about the boys. The boys talked to Percy about video games and girls, once stopping to ask again to ask if they had kissed—and with a fearful glance at Annabeth and then her father had answered, "Yes."—and Frederick had spoken to Annabeth about his new projects. Finally, the conversation shifted to Percy and Annabeth.

"When did this happen?"

Percy squeezed Annabeth's hand under the table. "Last summer," she said.

"So he's why you wanted to stay in New York."

Percy gazed at her cheekily, expecting her to argue with the statement, even though he knew he was a contributing factor.

"Well, I'm rebuilding Olympus still, and need to be close for that, right?"

At the mention of Olympus, Frederick glanced at his wife, but Mrs. Chase didn't say anything but, "Of course."

"But I'm the main reason," he teased, staring at Annabeth adoringly.

Frederick's hand tightened on his fork and Percy quickly looked away, not wanting to be stabbed repeatedly with a utensil.

"Percy, I believe my sons have already planned a painfully embarrassing interrogation for you, so I just have one question." Percy waited patiently and Annabeth squeezed his hand. "Do you care about my daughter?"

"Enough to risk my life for her, sir," he said, not hesitating. "I'd never hurt her."

Mr. Chase nodded and set down his fork. "That's all I needed to hear. By the way, how do you do in school?"

**A/N: :) I thought it was funny that Annabeth got her hair ruined, but not really sure why I put it in there…hmmm…maybe I just want Percy for myself;) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Read and review, tell me what you think.**

**Love always,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	4. First Fight

**A/N: Their first fight! They made up too easily, of course, so it's fluff, but still, Annabeth gets jealous;) Read and review!**

Percy breathed easy as he propelled himself across the pool, not going too horridly fast, but not too slow that he threw the race. He won by that much, and as he pulled himself out of the pool, smiling at the team mate he'd beat in the scrimmage, he didn't consider the fact that, while swim team held open practices so others could come in and watch, people actually would.

He walked over to where the rest of the team was waiting. Paige Collins, a petite blonde in his grade and on the swim team, was waiting by the starting point. The swim team captain, Mason, was standing at the side.

"Good job, Percy," he said, smiling. "Paige and James, you're up next. Winner goes against Percy and winner of that race goes against me."

Percy smiled. "Good luck, Paige," he muttered.

"I don't need luck." She winked.

Percy shrugged and walked back to join the rest of the team as he waited for the final race. Mason blew the whistle and James and Paige shot into the water, racing towards the opposite end of the pool. When Paige won, she wandered back over to him, smiling.

"I guess it's just you and me, then, Jackson," she said. She crossed her arms. "Think you can beat me?"

Boyish stubbornness and pride overwhelmed him. "Oh, I know I can."

Paige took a step closer, ran her eyes up and down, sizing him up as competition…and secretly enjoying the well muscled view he presented. Strong, but slim and with a swimmer's build, and utterly handsome. Dark hair that often fell in his eyes, green eyes that seemed to dive into a girl's heart and made it thump faster and faster. Lips that looked kissable, arms that could hold a girl tightly and never let go…

"Wanna bet?"

"I can't take your money. That'd just be rude."

"Sounds like Jackson's scared."

"Never."

Paige took one final step closer. They were almost touching. Percy towered over her, staring down. They were meeting each other, gaze for gaze, staring each other down… And Percy was oblivious to what she was thinking. He was thinking it was friendly competition. But the girl with the curly blonde hair and grey eyes that was standing by the doorway knew what the petite swimmer was thinking.

Her heart hammered. He wouldn't. He wasn't. He couldn't be.

"Seaweed Brain," she whispered to herself. And then louder. "Seaweed Brain."

Percy turned. Smiled. "Annabeth!"

She crossed her arms, glaring at Paige. She noticed. Whispering to Percy, Paige asked, "Who's she?"

"Um, my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I'm his girlfriend," Annabeth hissed, stepping forward. She forced a smile to her lips when Mason caught her eye. "Hi, Mason, I need to borrow Percy for a moment."

Mason sighed. "Take 5, everyone."

Annabeth stood in front of Paige and Percy, frowning.

"Annabeth, this is Paige, my friend on swim team; Paige, this is my girlfriend, Annabeth." Percy swallowed tightly, sensing this conversation was about to take a turn for the worst. Annabeth was staring at the girl clad in a tight one-piece swim-suit. "Annabeth, what are you doing here?"

"I…came to surprise you."

"You got me. I'm surprised."

"Why are you flirting with her?"

Percy looked shocked. "I-I'm not! Annabeth, I wouldn't—we wouldn't—she wasn't—"

"Are you blind?" she hissed. "She was throwing herself at you."

Paige blushed, but fury overtook the embarrassment. "Hey! I—"

"Annabeth, I wasn't—"

Annabeth put up a hand up to stop him and turned to Paige, smiling sickly sweet. "Would you excuse us?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'll see you later, Percy. If you're still alive." Paige walked away, towards her bag where her water bottle was, leaving the couple.

"You really are a seaweed brain. She was throwing herself at you. The getting closer, the running her eyes over you, and did you _hear _her? 'Sounds like Jackson's scared,'" she imitated in an annoyingly falsetto voice.

"We were about to race, Annabeth! Will you just calm down? I wasn't going to _do_ anything but race!"

She crossed her arms. "And what if she did?"

"She wasn't—"

"You're blind! It took you months to realize I liked you, almost years! Even at the labyrinth, with the line from the prophecy, you didn't know! And at the fireworks… My gods, Percy, you're so utterly oblivious. She—"

Percy groaned in frustration. "Fine, Annabeth, if you wanna fight about some girl that means nothing to me, then let's do it. Go ahead. Get it all out. Yell, scream, hit me."

"Percy, Paige, you're up!" Mason called.

Annabeth opened her mouth and Percy leaned forward, kissing her. She pushed him away after a second. She didn't kiss him back. "Don't try to pretend we're not gonna fight about this when you're done."

Even so, Percy leaned forward again and kissed the top of her head.

"Go, Seaweed Brain," she said grumpily.

Paige gave Percy a little finger wave. Annabeth fumed.

Wait, be smart about this, Annabeth. If she senses weakness she'll jump in and take him. Wait until you're out of her range before you rip his head off.

Mason blew the whistle and Percy glided under the water. He pushed through the chlorinated water with ease, keeping an eye on Paige. He stayed even with her for the first half, starting backing up at the last, and shot ahead, winning by a few feet at the last second. Percy knew it wasn't luck. He had lulled her into a sense of security but backing off, and he had used his powers. But still, he won.

Mason clapped him on the back. Percy nodded at him, turning towards Paige. She was still in the pool, at the edge, breathing heavy. He offered her a hand. Smirking, she took it…and yanked him into the pool again.

He surfaced, laughing, but a quick look down made him realize he forgot something. Quickly, he let himself get wet, hoping the brief second that the water hadn't affected him wouldn't be noticed. Paige smiled at him as she hoisted herself out of the pool.

"Good race, Jackson."

"Not bad yourself, Collins."

"Paige," she said.

"Percy," he offered. They shook hands and Paige, once again, gave him a once over.

"Listen, I didn't mean to get you into trouble with your…" Paige glanced over to Annabeth who was leaning against a wall, watching them, a mixture of sadness and anger on her face. "Um, girlfriend."

"It's not your fault. She's overreacting. You and me…we're friends. Teammates."

Paige forced a smile. "Sure. But, um, if you're ever interested in dumping the baggage, you know where to find me." She winked at him. "Call me, sometime, will you?"

Percy had a painfully embarrassing Rachel flashback. "Um…" Feeling once more like one of Apollo's sacred cows—slow, red, and dumb—he didn't speak.

"Percy, you and me, let's go." Mason was watching him and Paige with a quirk of an eyebrow. As Percy approached, he grabbed his shoulder. "What are you doing? Annabeth looks like she's about to kill you."

"I…I don't know. I didn't realize Paige was…flirting with me."

Mason rolled his eyes. "Wow. You need to get out more."

"Nobody flirts with me."

"Some girl flirts with you every day. Annabeth's lucky you don't realize it."

"But I wouldn't—"

"Tell her, not me."

After the race, which Percy let Mason win, but only by an inch, he ran over to Annabeth. "Okay, go ahead, yell."

"You idiot!" she shouted, punching him in the arm.

"Annabeth, you know me! I would never cheat on you, I would never flirt with another girl, I would never even consider—"

"You didn't care that I was intimidated by her! You went right on talking to her! You blushed when she spoke!"

"Good gods, Annabeth! I may be dumb, but I'm not dumb enough to flirt with some other girl, and I was too dumb to realize she was flirting with me, so can you just _drop it?_" Percy put his face in his hands. "I'm tired of it, Annabeth. You need to trust me!"

"How am I supposed to trust you when I see this?"

He put his hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes. "Annabeth, when are you going to learn that the only girl I want is you?"

She looked down, blushing slightly. "But…I can't stop these girls from hitting on you, so I have to stop you from egging them on. I mean, come on, Percy. You're…" She gestured to his chest. "You're…you. You're Percy Jackson. Do you think when we get to camp the Aphrodite girls are just gonna leave you alone because you're with me?"

Realization flooded him. "Do you…do you think you're not _good enough_ for me?"

Annabeth hurriedly brushed a tear from her cheek, but not before he saw it.

"Come here," he muttered, pulling her into his arms. "I may be Percy Jackson, but you're Annabeth Chase. Apollo boys, Hephaestus boys, Hermes boys… I'll be kicking butt all summer when we get back." She buried her face into his chest. "We saved the world, Annabeth, but how could that possibly change how I feel about you?" His arms tightened around her.

"I-I don't know. I just… I thought maybe once you saw how many other girls there were…how much prettier the other girls were—"

"None of them are as pretty as you," he insisted, interrupting her. "I'm the luckiest guy in the universe because I have you…and you go to an all girls' school. Once other guys realize how incredible you are… We both have the same fear, Annabeth. We just have to learn to trust each other, to believe that the other won't go looking for something different…unless…we're positive this isn't what we want. And I'm positive that this is."

Annabeth kissed his chest. "Me, too."

He kissed the top of her head and held her. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to say, "I love you," but held it in. He would tell her when he was sure she was ready to say it back.

"That's all for today, guys! Tomorrow after school, again. See ya."

"I'll go change and we'll go get dinner together, okay?" he asked, leaning back. She nodded, smiling softly. He kissed her forehead. "One second."

He wandered into the boy's locker room and changed quickly before grabbing his backpack and heading back to the pool area. Annabeth was leaning against the wall, staring at the water. Mason was still swimming laps but everyone else had gone inside.

"You ready?" he asked, sticking out his hand.

Annabeth smiled and opened her mouth to answer, but her eyes flicked to something over Percy's shoulder. He was about to ask her about it, but Annabeth pulled him close and kissed him passionately. Pleasantly surprised, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and lifted her off the ground, spinning as they kissed. When they broke apart, they were flushed and grinning.

"We should end every fight with a kiss like that," Percy muttered.

And behind him, Paige Collins walked away, having witnessed the passionate kiss. They were in love with each other. Everyone seemed to be able to see it but them.

**A/N: :) Review because it was cute and you got to think about the glorious Percy Jackson in a speedo… ;) And no, of course I didn't name Paige after some slutty chick in my grade! What? Psh…**

**Love always and forever,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	5. First School Dance

**A/N: School dances…the only purpose is show off a pretty dress, a handsome boy, and dance with your hands above your hand, singing to inappropriate music… Or is that only my school? Anyway, read and review!**

**The kiss may have been totally random, but I felt it needed to be there…just because:)**

"So...I wanted to ask you something." Percy and Annabeth were sitting on Percy's bed, homework on their laps, pencils in hand. He looked up from the jumbled letters and smiled at his girlfriend nervously. "We have this stupid end of the year dance thing coming up. It's not like it's Prom, or something, but the whole swim team is going and... I was wondering if you'd be willing to go with me."

"Sure-if you'll go to my stupid end of the year dance, too. Since we're an all girl school, the ASB pressured the dean into a dance for younger students so we don't have to wait until Prom to show off boys to our friends."

"Absolutely. I'd love to be your arm candy."

She laughed. And at the same time, they asked, "When is it?"

Once again, at the same time, they answered each other's question. "June 8th."

They frowned simultaneously.

"Oh, boy," Annabeth muttered.

"That's unfortunate."

"Well...I suppose we could start at your dance and then be late to mine." Annabeth gnawed on her lip. "Or vice versa, or just pick one or the other."

Percy ran a hand through his hair. "How do we figure this out?"

Annabeth shrugged. "But we still have three weeks, right? So let's not worry about it." She brushed the homework off her lap and leaned forward, kneeling on a Mathematics book to get close enough to kiss Percy.

"You're right," he whispered, threading his fingers through her hair. "We can worry about it later."

0000000000

Annabeth twirled, glancing at the back of the sea-green dress. It was a tight fit, went down to her knees, hugged each curve, but was still some form of modest. And she liked it.

"You think I should get it?" she asked Percy, who was sitting in a chair by a mirror in the dressing room.

Percy glanced up from his History book and his jaw dropped. "When did you put that on?"

"Like five seconds ago. Remember? I was over there in that stall, I walked out, twirled a bit, and then just asked you if I should get it."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, that thing is…wow. I'm gonna be beating off guys all night."

"I'm gonna take that as a 'yes'." She smoothed down the edges, wincing as she noticed panty lines. She made a mental note to get new underwear.

"You look amazing."

She smiled at him before walking back to the changing stall. She slipped out of the dress and back into her school uniform. Percy carried her dress for her and his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw how much it cost.

"Jeez, Annabeth."

"Relax, Percy. I have money saved up from babysitting."

"How is the brat, anyway?"

"He's not a brat! He's just…annoying at times."

Percy grinned. "So, he's a brat."

Annabeth sighed. "I guess."

They walked back to Percy's apartment holding hands, talking easily. They hadn't seen each other in a week and a half, much less kissed, but Percy knew if he thought about how much he missed feeling her body pressed against his, her soft, warm lips meeting his, he would completely loose his mind and pull her into an alley to make out for a good twenty minutes. While it sounded like fun to him, he doubted she wanted to be pressed against a wall near a Dumpster and whatever smells it had coming from it.

"So have we decided?"

Annabeth bit her lip. "I don't know. My roommate was excited to finally meet you."

"But if I'm the only guy on the swim team that doesn't show up, they'll torture me for the last four days of school."

Annabeth smiled softly. "Well…maybe we should not go to either?"

"And do what? Sit at home? What are you gonna do with the dress?"

"I don't know—save it for Prom?"

"We're going to a dance, Annabeth. We just…have to pick."

She squeezed his hand as they walked into his apartment. She dropped the bag in his bedroom and wandered to the kitchen where Percy was sitting with his homework.

"We can do that in your room, can't we?"

He grinned, not looking up. "Yeah, but we're alone."

"So?"

Percy stood, reaching for her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he backed her into the counter and kissed her soundly. He could barely control himself. She tasted wonderful—like vanilla and cookies and some tangy fruit he couldn't quite place. Her lips were warm and inviting and perfectly in tune to his. He grabbed her hips.

Annabeth kissed him back ferociously. No matter how much Percy liked to think he was the only one that was physically attracted to the other in the relationship, it wasn't true, and Annabeth loved kissing him. She loved how his muscles tightened when she ran her hands over them, how he shivered when she kissed his neck or collarbone. She loved knowing she had that kind of power over him when he was the strongest in the relationship. It made her feel slightly more important.

Suddenly, Annabeth let out a squeal as Percy showed a bit of theatrical strength as he lifted her onto the counter, stepping between her thighs.

"That was unnecessary," she gasped out, holding his shoulders.

"Oh, trust me, it was completely"—he kissed her thoroughly for a moment—"necessary."

Annabeth smiled, feeling, as she often did when Percy kissed her like this, beautiful. And she would have been able to enjoy it more if she didn't feel so damned guilty. She knew how badly he wanted to show her off to his friends, but she wanted to show him off, too. She sighed and Percy suspected it was from pleasure, not exasperation so continued to kiss her jaw, but she was still distracted. She didn't know what she was going to do.

0000000000

Percy straightened his tie—a deep green just like Annabeth's dress—and knocked on her dorm room door.

"Dammit, Cass, I know you need the blue nail polish, but my price remains the same! I don't care if it matches your date's eyes"—a female voice called through the door; when it opened she froze—"Oh, hi, there."

A girl with jet black hair—red and blue streaks thrown in—and deep red lipstick, not to mention the clunky boots and dark clothing was standing in the doorway. She smiled and for a moment almost reminded him of Thalia, but her eyes were a dark green.

"You must be Percy."

"Maddie," he guessed.

Annabeth suddenly appeared next to her. Her hair was tied up in an up do, but with little curls still framing her face. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Wow," he said, suddenly feeling underdressed in his black dress shirt and pants. "You're amazing, Annabeth."

She beamed at him and Maddie smiled. "I'm gonna go change. Go have fun, Annabeth." She practically kicked her roommate out the door—not literally of course, for fear of damaging the dress—and Annabeth hugged her date.

"You look really nice, Seaweed Brain."

He pulled back, smiling. "Not as nice as you."

She fingered the tie. "I like you in a tie."

"Yeah?"

She kissed him softly. "Oh, yeah."

"Annabeth?"

They turned and there was a girl wearing sweats, carrying a pouch that Percy assumed held makeup. She was smiling ecstatically. "So this is the Percy Jackson we've been hearing so much about?"

Percy gave Annabeth a look and she blushed. "Yeah, Staci, this is Percy."

"Nice to meet you," she said. "Some of the girls and I are having a primping party before our dates show up but it looks like you two are about to head to the ballroom."

Annabeth nodded and Percy wrapped an arm around her waist. "Nice meeting you, Staci," he said, leading Annabeth out.

They got into the cab and Annabeth gnawed her lip. They had never decided where to go. What was Percy doing?

"Central Park, please."

"What?" Annabeth whispered to him. "Where are we going?"

"Central Park. I have a surprise."

"I thought we were going to a dance."

"We are." He squeezed her hand. "Don't worry."

They pulled up and Percy paid the cabbie. They held hands as Percy led them to the gazebo in the middle of the park.

"What are we doing, Seaweed Brain?"

"Well, we couldn't pick what dance to go to, so we're having our own dance." She opened her mouth and Percy put a hand over it. "Your dance starts an hour later than mine. We'll go to mine for an hour, make an excuse, go to yours, and go home. But, I thought it was also fair that we got our own dance, where I don't have to share you with anyone."

Annabeth smiled and Percy dropped his hand. "You are the most lovable, most annoying, most brilliant boyfriend ever."

Percy grabbed one of her hands and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. Annabeth put her free hand on his shoulder.

"There's no music."

"So?"

She took her hand from Percy's and got even closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. Annabeth felt tingles shoot through her emanating from where Percy's hands were—slightly low on her hips.

They moved slowly and Annabeth rested her head on Percy's shoulder.

"This is perfect, Percy."

He kissed her hair, eyes closed. This was, without a doubt, the most perfect moment they'd ever had.

**A/N: So it wasn't technically their first school dance, but they did go to the dance after… :) Okay, PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE participate in my poll. I wanna write a series of shots about Percy and Annabeth's daughter, call it the - Jackson Chronicles, but I can't think of a name good enough, so PLEASE vote, or review with a suggestion! **

**Love,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	6. First Time Caught

**A/N: Do Percy and Annabeth's godly parents know about their relationship or are they just staying quiet? Hmmm… Read and find out, review because you love me… Or because you love Percy? That might work more.**

Never try to hide from the gods while on Olympus. It may be common sense, but in the heat of the moment, you won't really think about it.

Annabeth had an office on Olympus for working on the new designs. She loved it. It had a couch, a TV with actual television channels, and her own Hephaestus TV, which she swore she didn't use, but Percy wasn't so sure. It had this huge white desk with everything she could ever need to work on drawing the designs.

But she really, really loved her office when Percy was there, lounging on the couch, sometimes with homework, sometimes just...watching her. But they'd been careful. While they were pretty confident that Poseidon and Athena knew of their relationship, they weren't going to push it if they didn't. So they refrained from holding hands, kissing, even hugging while on Olympus.

Until...

Percy missed her. It was summer. Nearly the anniversary of when they'd saved the world together, and the anniversary of...them. But not for about another month. But that wasn't the point. The point was that he had been at camp for two weeks, with no contact from her. Apparently she had basically been living in that office, religiously working on those designs. So he had a sort of plan to get her off of that cloud and down to camp for a bit.

But his plan basically consisted of just asking her.

He got to her office and knocked.

"Come in."

As he entered, he noticed one thing: her hair was down. Her hair was rarely down. Then he noticed her clothing. Shorts and a T-shirt. Nothing particularly special, but, after not having seen her for two weeks? Gorgeous.

She turned around and a huge smile broke out over her lips. "Seaweed Brain!" Forgetting that they didn't hug on Olympus, just in case, she flung her arms around his neck. And he forgot for a moment, too. When they pulled apart, they stared at each other.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you more," he whispered back.

And they kissed.

They had been lucky for months. Any time they were alone, they were never caught kissing. There had been a risky moment in Percy's apartment when he thought he heard his mom unlocking the door, but she dropped her key and took an extra second to get the door open. When she looked inside, all she saw was Annabeth and Percy, sitting on opposite sides of the couch, apparently paying great attention to an episode of Dora the Explorer. And that was as close as they'd gotten to being caught.

It wasn't that their relationship was secret, it was just that they were getting used to each other and frankly, making out in front of parents was...embarrassing. They were spending more time apart, thanks to busy schedules, which meant their make out sessions increased whenever they had time to themselves. They managed to IM almost every night-except for the past two weeks-but kissing was so totally different from seeing each other across a misty screen.

She slowly backed up, pulling him with her. When her legs hit the couch, they sat together, her on his lap, and continued to kiss. They didn't, for one second, consider where they were, or the consequences, and that made the kiss all the more exciting. He kissed her neck, she tugged on his hair; he played with her loose hair, she kissed up his jaw...

And once they had locked lips again with so sign of ever again coming up for air, there was a knock on the door. They both ignored it, diving for each other once again after a breath. Her hands were limp on his chest, but his were tangled in her locks, cupping her head as they kissed. He breathed deeply, taking in her scent. Lemon soap and cotton.

Another knock. Neither of them showed they heard it.

"Percy," came a low voice.

They broke apart with a pop noise and stared at the door.

"Oops," Annabeth muttered.

"You wanna answer it or should I?" he whispered.

"You." She slid off his lap. As he stood, she grabbed him, kissing him once more. "Just in case we don't make it out alive."

He leaned in the doorway, the open door against his hip so Poseidon couldn't see inside the room. "Hey, Dad."

His father was smirking. "What are you doing in Annabeth's office?"

"Visiting my friend."

"Just your friend?"

Swallowing tightly, he nodded. "Yup."

"Because Athena just threatened to rip your head off. I thought I'd come down here to…mitigate what might be about to happen."

"Um…"

"She's not pleased. So I suggest you go back to camp, Percy."

"And what about you? Do you…approve? Of our…friendship?"

Something glinted in Poseidon's eyes. "I know true love when I see it, son. And she's not just your friend, no matter how much you tell anyone that. I approve for as long as she proves she's not her mother."

"She's not."

Poseidon nodded. "I can't stop Athena from interfering."

"I know. I'll…get out of here."

"Nice to see you again, son."

Percy smiled. "Yeah."

He turned slightly, and paused. "By the way… You have lip gloss on your jaw."

**A/N: Okay, it's short, sorry, but I'm working on 4 stories at once. How stupid am I, right? My updating schedule when school starts is going to be Sundays, maybe Saturdays! Thank you all so much for all the positive reviews! I love you guys!**

**Love always,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	7. First Year Anniversary

**A/N: Totally and utterly fluffy. Don't say I didn't warn you.**

Annabeth gnawed on a fingernail, staring at her duffle bag. Tomorrow it would be her's and Percy's anniversary, and she had packed…a dress. It was strapless, but tasteful, and was black and green. It had two straps across the middle of the back, showing little lines of skin, and then progressing into the skirt. She'd packed her owl earrings to match, flats, and a little bit of makeup, just in case. And he still hadn't asked her what they were doing for their anniversary. She worried he might have forgotten.

"Annabeth?"

She flipped the flap back over the duffle bag, covering her dress and glanced at the doorway. She smiled. "Hey."

Percy arched an eyebrow. "What were you hiding from me?"

"Nothing."

Percy stepped farther into the Athena cabin casually, ignoring the other campers busy at work at desks. He stopped by his girlfriend, smiling down at her. In the last year he had sprouted up quite a bit, and his voice was gradually lowering. Annabeth smiled at him.

"It doesn't look like nothing."

Annabeth bit her lip. He was pressing her backwards and then his arms went around her and just when Annabeth thought he was going to kiss her, he grinned and backed up, holding the dress in his hand.

"Nice. What is it?"

She snatched it back. "Nothing. Just a dress."

"Why would you bring a dress to camp?"

"Because."

Percy nodded. "Right. So, are you gonna wear it for me?"

"Well, '_for_ you' might imply that it's like…a present or something."

"In front of me, Annabeth. Are you gonna wear it in front of me?"

"I'd say it's possible."

Percy smiled, leaning in for a quick kiss. "'Kay. I'll see you after dinner tonight at the lake?"

"Of course."

With a suggestive once over, Percy left the cabin, leaving Annabeth blushing. She turned back to her bag, biting her lip. What if he really had forgotten?

0000000000

Percy sighed, looking down at the necklace he had made with the help of one of the boys from the Hephaestus cabin. It was a string of blue and green glass beads that were blown to look like waves and, in the middle, an owl charm that matched the earrings she owned. It may have looked a little too thrown together, but it represented both himself and Annabeth.

It was August 18th, 9 in the morning, and he had yet to leave his cabin. Grover had been by earlier, wishing him a happy birthday, and had left just as suddenly. He was busy with the rest of the satyrs. He hadn't felt in the mood for breakfast. Today was also the day they had defeated Kronos and the day Annabeth and him had shared an amazing kiss, both in the dining hall and under the canoe lake. Yesterday, when he had gone to her cabin, he had been planning to ask her to a picnic on the beach on this night. Travis and Connor Stoll were going to _borrow_ some food from the kitchen for him…for a price, of course. It was going to be perfect. And then he chickened out.

Camp training ceased on the 18th as sort of a celebration for the war ending well. Percy walked towards the Athena cabin, holding the little grey box that the necklace was in.

Malcolm was leaving as he was entering. "She's down by the lake, dude," he muttered. "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks."

Percy spun on his heel, heading towards the lake. He was gnawing on his lip. Why did this have to be so hard? As he reached the sand he saw her lying down on the empty beach. Her blonde hair was tied up as far as he could see. When he got closer, he noticed her wearing a T-shirt and jean shorts.

"Hey," he muttered, sitting down.

Annabeth sat up, smiling. "Hey, Seaweed Brain." She moved closer to him, leaning into him. He put his arm around her. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks." He looked down at her, but she was watching the water. "Happy anniversary."

She smiled wider. "You, too."

"I…I have something for you…"

"Oh?"

He held out the box. "It's not really—I mean—well, it's kind of—"

She put a hand over his mouth and sat up straight, crossing her legs. She took the box and opened it and her eyes widened. "Seaweed Brain, you're the greatest boyfriend ever."

"You like it?"

She dropped it into the sand and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him thoroughly. When they could breathe again, she nodded. "I love it. It's amazing. It's perfect."

Percy held her face in his hands and kissed her until he couldn't breathe, took a deep breath, and kissed her some more. She laughed, twisting her fingers in his hair.

"Where's my present?" he teased.

"It's my cabin," she whispered, winking.

While Percy comprehended this, Annabeth jumped up, gave him a little finger wave, and ran back towards her cabin. Finally, Percy understood, his eyes widening. He grinned and stood, tripping over himself in order to get to her cabin as quickly as possible. A private make out session, he mused as he closed the door. Best birthday present ever.

**A/N: No, you pervs, they didn't Do It. ;)**

**LOL:D**

**Love always,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	8. First Sex Talk

**A/N: Communication is a factor in each relationship. When Percy and Annabeth start feeling like they need to get into the other's pants…it's time for a chat… Read and review!**

For a while now, every time Percy and Annabeth had a date, they wound up back at Percy's apartment, on the couch, kissing. And then they started touching. He put his hands on her sides, she put her hands on his thighs... And they both went up for a little bit before either of them slammed on the brakes (Percy normally stopped her first, since he was going a lot slower up than she was.) And they just...stopped. They didn't talk about what they wanted, what they had to do to prevent it, or anything. He kissed her once more at the door and she was gone.

"I'm gonna cook for you tonight," he told her one morning over IM as he was checking his backpack for school. "The one thing I know how to make."

"What?"

"Homemade pizza. And no, the sauce will not be blue."

She smiled. "Do I get to make it with you?"

"Sure. Say about 4?"

"You got it, Seaweed Brain. I'll see you then."

She waved through the IM and his face disappeared. She relaxed back against her bed, already in her uniform. In five minutes she would stand up, grab her bag, and walk to her first class of the day, but for now, she wanted to think about Percy.

There were really great things about him: his bravery, his compassion... And there were really great physical things about him: how he kissed, how he held her, how his fingers sent shocks through her body when he touched her knee, or her side, or her neck. She melted for him every time. And wanted him. And it wasn't like she was going to be a virgin forever. So she tried, occasionally, to make him feel like he was making her feel. But he always stopped her.

The pang she got in her chest every time was nothing compared to the confusion. She had really thought he wanted her. Tonight she would prove it. Make him say it.

Percy was obtuse. Thick-headed. Didn't really pick up clues easily. It seemed to be a running theme. She just had to get him to admit what he wanted.

But still, there was this part of her that was...confused. She didn't want to have sex, yet. Not yet. Soon. But not...yet. Percy needed to understand that they could fool around without the possibility of sex. Annabeth smiled as she thought of Percy's answer to that. It had been more than a year since they'd started dating and Percy still seemed nervous.

Annabeth sighed to herself. She was in love with Seaweed Brain. She hadn't told him it, but she felt it. And maybe this would show what she was too scared to say.

In Manhattan, Percy Jackson was walking up the front steps of Goode, thinking about Annabeth. He went crazy when she touched him. If he didn't grasp onto that last bit of sanity every time and stop them, it would be a huge mistake. She'd hate him. He'd hate himself. It wasn't that he didn't want her. Quite the opposite, in fact. Yesterday in Mathematics, he'd spent twenty minutes undressing her in his head.

Gods, he loved her. She was passionate, fearless, strong, brave, the most amazing girl he'd ever known...and she was his. How was that possible? He guessed it had something to do with karma. The gods had tortured him for the first 16 years of his life. Now he got her as a reward, and he still didn't deserve her.

As he sat in Homeroom, he thought about tonight. They would have to talk about what they were doing. Percy wanted her. Badly. And while going slow wasn't his first choice, he would do it for her. Because he had to or risk losing her. Even if she said she was ready, she would regret it. And he didn't want her to regret this, so he would wait.

"Percy?"

His head snapped up. "Here."

His teacher rolled his eyes and moved on to the next name on the list.

This was going to be one Hades of a day.

0000000000

Annabeth slipped on her brand new dress-a strapless black, yellow, and blue sundress with flowers-and looked at herself. She didn't look anything like she normally did. Her hair was down in ringlets, her shoulders were bare, most of her legs were showing... She looked great, she just didn't look like her. Her roommate walked in as she was examining her appearance.

"Damn, girl," Maddie said. "You look H-A-W-T, hot."

Annabeth smiled. Maddie was a creative girl. Goth and maybe slightly too tall for her age, she was loud and proud and stood out. Her naturally blonde hair was dyed black and she wore dark lipsticks and eyeliner, pointy braclets and clunky boots with her school uniform. Anything to be individual, she said.

"Big date tonight?"

"Kinda. Percy and I are making pizza."

Maddie cracked a smile. "Is that what you call it?"

"Actual pizza, you dork," she said lovingly. "For some reason Percy doesn't seem to be...interested in...making pizza."

Maddie snorted as she flopped onto her bed. "You sure he isn't gay?"

"Pretty sure, Mads."

"Well if he is, that dress will turn him. You look awesome. So...are you interested in making pizza?"

"I don't know. I think I'd just like him to be interested. But not overly so that he forces me into something."

"That makes sense."

"You ever...?" she said, leaving the question hanging.

"Hell, no. Guys avoid me like the plague." She grinned cheekily. "But if you show up in that dress, Percy will be all over you like a fat kid on cake. What shoes are you gonna wear?"

"Is it appropriate to wear Converses with dresses?"

"Nope-that's why I do it. Besides, you don't wanna hafta take off your sneakers. Go with flats."

"Black or blue?"

Maddie took another look at the dress. "Blue."

Annabeth walked to the door, and put her hand on the doorhandle. "Are you sure I look okay?"

"Puh-leeze, girl. Go get your boy. And have fun."

0000000000

Percy was dressed in a button down blue shirt and black jeans and was sitting on the couch when the doorbell rang. His mom and Paul had left for dinner twenty minutes earlier. As soon as he opened the door his heart sank into his stomach and his brain went south. He smiled. "Wow. Annabeth. You look..." He swallowed. "You look incredible."

She bit her lip. "Thanks. I like it, too."

"I wasn't talking about the dress." She cocked her head. "I was talking about you."

Blushing slightly, she took a couple steps into the apartment, kicked off her flats, and walked with Percy into the kitchen. She was looking at the ingredients laid out on the table when she felt his arm go around her waist.

"Here," he muttered, handing her an apron. He buried his face into her neck. "So you don't ruin your dress."

And he disappeared just as quickly as he had come, leaving a tightening her belly that Annabeth didn't want to define for fear of embarrassment. She took a deep breath and put on the white apron, covering up her dress.

"Pepperoni and olives. Your favorite."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"Sure. So, why don't you grab flour from the cabinet and sprinkle a fist full on the counter? We need to knead the dough and make it circular."

"Oui, chef," she teased, walking towards the cabinet. She took down the container of flour and set it by the sink. After washing her hands, she grabbed a bunch and spread it over the counter.

Once again, he came up behind her. "Good. Perfect." He slapped down a hunk of mushy dough. "Knead. With the heel of your palms and fingers." Reaching around her, he powdered his hands with a bit of flour and covered her hands with his own. "Like this." He led her hands, pressing them down into the dough. They worked in silence, working the edges until it was a good size. "Perfect," he whispered in her ear, and Annabeth had a feeling he wasn't just talking about the pizza.

Percy felt his jeans tighten as he whispered how perfect he thought her neck was. He almost blushed, but looked at the dough and realized that Annabeth probably took his one work sentence to discribe the pizza size.

"Sauce is in the fridge," he told her.

She slipped out of his arms and walked to the refrigerator, removing the bowl of red sauce. When she presented it to Percy, he was staring at her.

"What?"

He smiled. "You're driving me crazy."

"Why?"

"I can't stop thinking about you. I...I think we should talk."

She swallowed nervously. "About?"

He took the bowl from her and put it on the counter. "We've been giving each other bedroom eyes for a month. We need to talk about where we're going with that."

A wave of confidence passed through her. "What do you want?"

"You. Badly." He cleared his throat. "But we're young. And I'm not pushing you. You don't have to do anything you don't want to." When she didn't speak, he asked her, "What do you want?"

"I...I don't know. Sometimes I think I want it, and then other times my brain is screaming at me to slow down. I don't want to end up pregnant; I don't want to rush into something; I don't...I don't know."

He nodded. "I get it."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not." He fisted a hand in her apron and pulled her towards him. "Whatever you want, Annabeth. Always."

"So...we are eventually going to...do it?"

"Whenever you want to, I'm here."

"What if I wanted to do it tonight?"

He swallowed words and took a deep breath. "I don't think you do."

"Me neither, but if I did, would you?"

Without hesitating, he shook his head, no. "No, I wouldn't. We wouldn't have enough time, and it wouldn't be how I wanted it. It's supposed to be special."

She smiled. "Perfect answer, Percy."

He kissed her softly for a second and turned back to the counter.

"Oh, by the way," she said, pulling his arms around her again, "I can't control those 'bedroom eyes', as you called them."

"Don't worry. Neither can I."

"Oh, this'll be fun."

**A/N: Aw, bedroom eyes… Anyway! Review, please, and I'll love you forever. Click the button, you know you want to…**

**Love,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	9. First I Love Yous

**A/N: I borrowed a real life moment for this fic. So if it sounds cheesy, I guess life can sometimes be like that:) Sorry, it's kind of short. Also, a HUGE thank you to Percabeth777 who gave me really, really specific and amazing reviews! You made my day!**

He hadn't planned it. He'd been thinking it for months, but he was too scared to actually say it. Every time they talked over IM, he was trying to muster up the guts to say the three little words, but he choked on them. Percy Jackson loved Annabeth Chase. And it scared him. He wasn't used to this...intense sensation. It was like a hand had a tight grip on his chest. And all it took was to see her standing in the rain, shivering. She was on his fire escape.

That night, he kept thinking, "Tell her. Tell her. I love you."

But as they sipped hot chocolate and talked, he couldn't do it. What if she didn't say it back? What if she did? What did that mean?

Percy lounged on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was meeting Annabeth at the theatre, soon. She had convinced him to see "Eclipse" with her. Annabeth being Annabeth had devoured all the Twilight books. While she didn't approve of Bella's always needing to be saved instead of saving herself, and her dependency on Edward, and didn't understand why they had to sparkle, it was a girl thing.

He met her outside and just the sight of her sent a pang through his chest. Absolutely, unbelievably gorgeous. She hugged him, smiled up at him.

"I hope you know that I won't get any of this. And that I'm risking maximum testosterone damage."

"I'll make you a deal, Seaweed Brain. Every time Jacob takes off his shirt or appears shirtless, I'll kiss you."

"That's that Taylor Lautner dude, right?"

Annabeth got a faraway look in her eyes and she smiled. "Yeah."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Deal."

They held hands as they walked into the theatre. Percy bought the tickets, Annabeth bought the popcorn. When they were seated, Percy leaned over and whispered, "I hope there's a Harry Potter commercial."

"Honestly? Me, too."

He chuckled softly. They were holding hands and secretly were very intune to the other. Annabeth noticed when he looked at her, but didn't return the glance. The audience cheered slightly as Jacob appeared and Percy rolled his eyes. He took his hand from hers and threw his arm around her so she could lean into him. And for a moment Annabeth forgot about the scrumptious boy on screen. She looked up at Percy.

"Something wrong?" he whispered.

"N-no," she whispered back. Her heart pounded.

The first part of the movie, they were silent. Then came the moment of truth. Annabeth smiled cheekily at the shirtless actor.

"You know what that means," he told her.

They stared at each other for a moment, eyes locking. Annabeth was hyper aware of his arm around her, and Percy could-in the dim light-make out stormy eyes and pink lips. Was it the darkness of the theatre, the close proximity, the promise of a mind-melting kiss, hormones, are all four put together that made Percy feel as if they were all alone? Just her and him, sitting close, staring dreamily at each other... They sunk deeper into the seats as Percy tilted his head.

Annabeth bit her lip, smiling cheekily. "Other way, Seaweed Brain," she whispered.

He did as he was told, operating on auto-pilot, and kissed her. She grabbed at his shirt, wishing the kiss would continue, but Percy backed up too soon. She kept her eyes closed, lips parted. After waiting a second for her breath to catch up with her she opened her eyes and saw him staring at her, still. They both forgot about the movie.

"I love you," he whispered.

The words registered through her muddled mind. In the back of her mind, she wondered if her saying it back would make him think she was only saying it because he had said it, so, she said, "I love you," without the "too" latched on.

A lazy smile grew on his lips. "I love you," he repeated.

"I heard you the first time."

"I like saying it."

"Good, because I like hearing it."

**A/N: Has anyone else noticed that I make them kiss a lot? Is that creepy? Hmm… Tell me your opinion in a REVIEW!**

**Love,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	10. First Time

**A/N: Soo…there aren't a whole bunch of firsts left… First weekend away together, first shared apartment, first pregnancy test, and that's probably it unless I think of more or you guys can think of any you'd like me to write… It's pretty much that they go to college, they move in together, etc, etc. Eventually, they get engaged, they get married, they have babies and live happily ever after with a few monsters thrown in for fun. So this story is almost over which means I can stop stressing about writing 4 stories at once! Anyway…R&R!**

**Here they're away at college, living separately. I'm not sure, but it might be more M than T…Sorry if it is.**

Annabeth was smiling when she woke up. Her head was on her boyfriend's naked chest as well as her arm, and her leg was thrown over his. She grinned and squirmed closer to him. He roused, shifting slightly in his half-sleep and tightened the arm that was around her.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she muttered.

"Mmm, it's fine." His voice was soft. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great—you?"

"Wonderful."

She kissed his chest. "Thank you for last night."

Percy's arms wrapped tighter around her and he rolled, trapping her underneath him. He grinned at her. "Thank _you_."

"Anytime you wanna show up at my doorstep with a bottle of wine, a pizza box, and a movie…"

Which was exactly what he had done last night.

_It was sudden, since she hadn't received an IM from him announcing his arrival plans, and so she had been dressed in her PJs. It was summer and Annabeth had just moved into her brand new apartment closer to NYU as she was preparing to attend next fall, so naturally, it was hot outside and her air conditioning wasn't working. Her tiny shorts and sports bra were keeping her cool, but not cool enough. She was debating getting rid of the shorts, leaving her comfortable boy shorts underwear as her second to last garment when he knocked. _

_The evening had gone downhill from there. Percy was wearing basketball shorts and a wife-beater tank top, holding a box with smells of pepperoni and olives coming from it and a bottle of dark red stuff._

"_What are you doing here, Seaweed Brain?"_

_He ran his eyes over here. "Well, I came to share dinner, alcohol, and some movies." He swallowed. "But, uh—"_

_She glanced down at her outfit and rolled her eyes. "You've seen me in a swim suit before."_

"_Yeah, but that's not a swim suit."_

_Annabeth shrugged and grabbed the pizza box, walking towards the little kitchen nook. "I just got the TV hooked up today. DVD's all set to go."_

_He kissed the top of her head as he passed. Percy dropped the movies on the coffee table and set down the bottle next to them. When he walked back towards the kitchen, Annabeth had her head in the fridge._

"_You okay?"_

"_It's hot out."_

_Percy chuckled and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's hips. He bent, kissing her neck. "Come on. I'm hungry."_

"_Yeah—but not for pizza."_

"_How can you tell?"_

"_You haven't managed to get your eyes off my legs since you walked in. It's flattering, but—"_

"_And you haven't been ogling me?"_

_Annabeth blushed slightly. "One or two slices?"_

"_Three."_

_They sat together and watched the first movie over dinner. Drank, ate popcorn, drank more, watched another movie, and when they were on the border between tipsy and drunk, Percy kissed her. Moaning, Annabeth let him press her against the cushions and lie between her legs. They held each other for a while, simply kissing, before their hands began to move frantically._

_When they eventually made it to her bedroom, Annabeth had panicked. She hadn't been expecting the night to be this night. She would've worn better undies if she had known and something sexier than a sports bra. But it turned out that it hardly mattered as the clothes were gone soon anyway._

"_Are you sure?" Percy croaked for the millionth time that minute, his body hovering over hers. _

"_Yes."_

_And that was apparently all he needed._

_He had dozed off a couple minutes after collapsing against her and whispering the three words she loved to hear into her skin over and over and over again. When he had woken her again in the middle of the night, it was with something pressing against her stomach and his lips on her neck. _

And now they were awake again at 7:30 in the morning, in each other's arms.

"Are you okay about last night?" Percy asked.

Annabeth nodded, not a hint of fear or uncertainty in her eyes. "Absolutely. You?"

He nuzzled her neck. "Definitely. It was perfect." He gazed up at her. "You didn't…"

She shrugged. "We just need to practice before that happens."

"Practice?"

"Mmhm."

"How about practicing all next week with me in Montauk?"

"But I thought your parents were taking you on that trip."

Percy shrugged and began kissing exposed skin. "I told them I'd rather go with you since we're not gonna see much of each other next year—I just hadn't gotten the guts to ask you yet."

Annabeth was having trouble breathing, let alone thinking about forming words with Percy's lips traveling over sensitized skin from last night's events. So instead, she fisted one hand in Percy's hair and tugged at his shoulder with the other. When he glanced up, he noticed the hazy lust in her eyes and grinned.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes."

**A/N; Again, sorry if this is more M than T. Wasn't really sure… So review! Sorry I've been gone so long. School started and stuffs, so my updating schedule will be weekends and the last chapter of "Double Date" will be out by Monday! Happy Labor Day weekend, everybody and thank you so much for reading!**

**Love,**

**E. M. Zeray**


	11. First Pregnancy Test

**A/N: Just letting you all know now, this is the last chapter. I have a ton of stuff to do and instead of neglecting the updating, I'm just ending it:) I hope you guys like the chapter!**

"Percy!" she shouted from the bathroom. He heard a horrible retching sound and went running into the bathroom. Annabeth was leaning over the toilet, puking.

"Whoa, are you okay?"

"What do you think?" she groaned.

"What happened?"

"I think I have food poisoning."

"What'd you eat?"

"Um…I don't know." She turned over, sitting on her butt in front of the toilet. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Have you been sick, lately?" He touched her forehead. "You feel fine."

"No, I've been—" A thought struck her and her face paled. "Oh my gods."

Percy's brow wrinkled in confusion. "What? Something wrong?"

"I…I'm…late. I thought it was because the pill plays major havoc with my period, but…"

"Wait, what?"

She stood and washed her mouth out, flushing the toilet when she was done. Her arms wrapped around her stomach. She looked like she was in shock. "Percy…" She put her hands on his shoulders, looked him straight in the eye. "I might be pregnant."

His jaw dropped. "You take the pill every day, right? At noon?"

She nodded. "Always."

"How is it possible then?"

"They're not always reliable, Percy."

He closed his eyes. "What do we do?"

"Well, I…I need a pregnancy test."

"The pills, they wouldn't kill the kid if you kept taking them, right?"

"No, they wouldn't."

"And…Annabeth, what if we've…done it since it started…growing? That's…" He shuddered.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and pushed past him. "I need to buy a pregnancy test."

"Wait," he muttered, grabbing her wrist. He pulled her to him and kissed her. "I love you, Annabeth. This doesn't change anything. I'm here, no matter what, and I'm not running away from this."

"I'm scared, Percy."

"I know. Me, too. But whatever you want, I'll do it."

She nodded. "Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

0000000000

This was the longest three minutes of her life! She was pacing as the little stick sat on the counter of the bathroom, Percy's watch counting down the seconds. She gnawed her lip. It was torture, going through this! What if it turned up positive? What if she had a kid with Percy when they were so young? Well, at least they were out of high school. 20 years old, they'd been having sex for two years before this. She couldn't think of a reason why the pills hadn't worked…

This was the longest three minutes of his life! He leaned against the counter, breath caught in his throat as Annabeth paced outside the door. Every muscle in his body was tensed. This was torture. If the test turned positive, it was all up to her, he knew that. Whatever she wanted. No matter what. He loved her, as he told her many times a day, and planned on marrying her—although he hadn't popped the question yet—so if she wanted to keep the kid or not, it was up to her.

Percy glanced at his watch. One minute left. He sighed.

Annabeth paused her pacing; her eyes were wide. "My dad's gonna kill you."

"My mom's gonna be ecstatic and worried at the same time."

"Well she has right to be. We share a tiny apartment a block away from NYU. We don't have baby safe windows or locks on the cabinets or the medicine… And how much money do you think this kid costs? 700 dollars per test, not to mention hospital bills for the delivery, clothes, food, baby proofing the apartment, baby monitors, a crib, toys…" She entered the bathroom and hugged Percy, her face buried in her chest. "I'm gonna be a terrible mother."

He kissed her head. "No, no, you're not. I'm gonna be a terrible father. I only had Gabe around! And what about when our little girl starts dating? Oh my gods…"

They stared up at each other. "I only had a father who didn't know anything about me and didn't want to for the beginning of my life. Athena was never around. What if I do something wrong?"

"It's a learning experience," he assured her soothingly. "We'll get through it. We'll go to those weird classes, talk to my mom… Our little girl—or little boy—will be well taken care of, Annabeth."

She wiped a tear from her cheek. "What if she doesn't love me because I try to get involved in her life?"

"Now there's the motherly spirit," he teased.

She buried her face in his chest.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Annabeth. I love you."

"You know the funny thing?"

"What's that?" he asked, stroking her back.

"I almost kinda want this to turn up positive now."

He smiled. "So you don't hate me?"

"Of course not, Seaweed Brain. I love you."

"I love you, too."

The timer went off. They both looked at each other, holding their breath.

"You look," she whispered.

He grabbed it gingerly, glancing down. His expression stayed neutral. He wasn't sure what this meant.

"Hey, Annabeth, let's get married."

"Seaweed Brain, what does it say?"

"No, Annabeth, wait. Say yes, first." He tossed the test into the trash and got down on a knee. "Marry me, Annabeth Chase."

"Oh, you're serious. It's positive, isn't it?"

"Say yes."

"Of course, you idiot. Yes."

He kissed her. "It was negative." Her face turned down. "But if we get married we can really…try. When we're ready. Because even though you looked kind of excited, inside you were too worried. You need to really, _really _want this kid, not just be okay that it came into our lives."

She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into another kiss. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Wise Girl."

"So, I get a ring, right?"

**A/N: Okay, sappy and kind of sad, but they're engaged! Thank you all so much for supporting this fic, and don't forget to check out, "In Fear and Love," as well as some of my other fics! Review!**

**Love always,**

**E. M. Zeray**


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